In general, the smaller the objective lenses, the more 10x binoculars suck. This is due to the diffraction of the objective-lens edges, which in higher-X binoculars are a larger proportion of the area of the objective lenses.
One extreme example occurred a while back, when an outfitter friend of mine was given a 10x25 "alpha" binocular by a client. He was really proud of them--until I showed up with a "test" binocular, a 10x40 that retailed for about a 10th the price of his tip-binocular. We could both see more detail in the 10x40 than the 10x25.
In fact, I have yet to see an "alpha" 10x30 binocular that provides as much detail as an 8x30 of the same make. Then there's the problem of holding tiny 10x binoculars steady enough.
In general, 6x to 8x "pocket" binoculars work better than 10x models.
John,
I pretty much agree, with the "10x binoculars suck" with small objectives. However, the 10x25 Legend Ultra has overcome my bias. I had the CL 8x25 for awhile, compared them to a friend's Terra 8x25, and another friend's SLC 8x30. I had owned my own SLC 8x30 at one point and knew them fairly well. The CL was better than the other two, except in low light where the SLC was brighter. Not really a big surprise. The Terra was really nice, given the price, but didn't provide as much detail as the CL.
Then I bought the Legend Ultra 10x25, on a whim and based on the review by Andrew McKean at OL. I purchased through Amazon, and was fully prepared to send them back if they sucked. However, I spent days comparing the CL 8x25 and the Legend 10x25. Dusk, dawn, full sun, etc. There was never a time that I could see something with the CL that I couldn't with the Legend. Maybe not an apples-to-apples comparison, 8x vs. 10x, but I saw no advantage to the CL for my needs.
Yeah, both the CL and Legend suck at dusk/dawn. No surprise there, I suppose. I also think that most people with even a little bit of knowledge know that a 25mm bino with 10x, or 8x, is definitely going to have some limitations. Especially for $100 - 150.
Since I sold the CL, I have had no desire to replace or upgrade the 10x Legend. Pocket binos are definitely a niche item, but suit me well. I would like to add an 8x25 with a wider FOV, for use by my kids. Otherwise, I wouldn't bother for myself.
Jason